Changes
by elsiecarson
Summary: Hyacinth watches Richard dancing with their neighbour and realizes that she wants to be more loving towards her husband. She asks for help from Emmett who is, surprisingly very useful.
1. Chapter 1

Hyacinth leans her cheek on her hand and sighs. She and her neighbour, Emmett, are at a charity fundraiser dinner party for the church. She's watching her husband, Richard, and Emmett's sister, Elizabeth dancing together. Richard is laughing and smiling with Elizabeth. He never acts like that around Hyacinth anymore. She wonders why. They used to be like that. "Why isn't he like that with me, Emmett?" Hyacinth asks sadly.

"Do you want my honest answer?" Emmett asks hesitantly. She doesn't usually listen.

"Yes, I do. We can't go on like this. I don't know him anymore." Hyacinth says quietly.

"You're so stiff and formal, Hyacinth. You don't allow Richard to feel as if he can just be himself around you." Emmett says trying to be gentle.

"Well, that needs to stop right now." Hyacinth says firmly as she watches Richard walk towards her. She pours Richard a glass of water as he sits down. "Here you are darling."

"Thank you Hyacinth." Richard says sweetly. "Thanks for the dance Liz. It was fun."


	2. A Command Decision

"Richard, during the next slow song can we go dance?" Hyacinth asks as she puts her hand over Richard's.

Richard's slightly shocked at Hyacinth's behaviour. She's not usually so demonstrative in public. In fact, she's not usually demonstrative at all. "Of course, darling, I'd love to."

Hyacinth smiles a sly smile as she thinks out her plan for their dance.


	3. Dance with Me

Richard hears the first strains of a slow waltz peal across the room. He stands up and holds his hand out for his wife. Hyacinth quietly pushes her chair back and walks out onto the dance floor with Richard. It feels so nice to be held delicately in his arms again. His hold is awfully formal though. Hyacinth pulls Richard's arms around her waist more which causes her to be pulled closer to Richard's chest. She leans her head on Richard's shoulder as they slowly rotate across the dance floor.


	4. You Know Something

Emmett smiles as he watches the couple. "What do you know, Emmett?" Elizabeth asks her brother suspiciously.

"Hyacinth is trying to get her husband to be interested in her again. She watched you and Richard dancing and I think she got a little bit jealous." Emmett says cheekily.

"But nothing is going on between Richard and I!" Elizabeth says appalled that Hyacinth would think such a thing of her.

"I know that and you know that, but any moment that makes Hyacinth question her behaviour towards Richard is a good thing. Isn't it?" Emmett asks his sister.

"She does look awfully happy. I don't think I've ever seen her look so happy." Elizabeth says honestly. "But I don't want Hyacinth to think I'm having an affair with Richard!"

"She doesn't think that. She just noticed that you and Richard have a close relationship and she wondered why she and Richard don't have a relationship like that." Emmett says clearly.


	5. What's Changed?

"What's going on Hyacinth? Your behaviour has been so different tonight." Richard says as he kisses the top of her head. He loves being like this again with her.

"I missed you. I've been so distant from you." Hyacinth whispers not changing positions.

Richard sighs. Hyacinth has finally recognized the distance between the two of them. He's happy things have changed. "What made you change?" he whispers in her ear.

"I watched you and Elizabeth dancing together. You looked so happy. I realized that you and I haven't been like that in a long time. I realized that I want that with you again. Do you love Elizabeth?" Hyacinth asks. She's not sure she wants to hear the answer.

"Only as a friend. The person I really love is you, Hyacinth. I know I haven't been showing you recently, but I do love you dearly." Richard says as he reaches down with one hand and lifts Hyacinth's face from his shoulder. He kisses her gently yet passionately.

"Oh, Richard, you've been so lovely this evening. Can we go home now?" Hyacinth asks as she continues to dance with her husband.

"Of course we can. Let's collect our things and head home." Richard says putting his arm around Hyacinth's shoulders.

"I just have to go to the bathroom. If you collect our things and meet me in the foyer in a few minutes I'll be ready to go." Hyacinth says as she stands on tiptoe and kisses Richard's cheek and then walks in the direction of the bathroom.


	6. Hey Good Luck Buddy!

"Looks like things are looking up for you tonight, Richard." Emmett says teasingly.

"Thanks to you and Liz. I'd better get going. Hyacinth's just in the bathroom. I'll see you two soon." Richard says as he collects Hyacinth's coat and handbag and his coat.

"Enjoy your evening, Richard." Emmett says slyly.


	7. Breathe, Remember to Breathe

In the bathroom Hyacinth is leaning over the sink trying to reassure herself that she's doing the right thing. There's a part of her that is terrified about changing her relationship with Richard. She's gotten comfortable with things the way they are. She takes a deep breath and leaves the bathroom in search of her husband. She knows he'll be right where she asked him to be.


	8. Thanks You Two

"Thanks Emmett. I'm sure I will." Richard says walking out into the foyer. "Let's go my darling." He puts his arm around Hyacinth's shoulders and leads her towards the car. He opens the door to the car for his wife. Hyacinth slides elegantly into the car.


	9. Hyacinth Admits Her Faults

Richard pulls the car quietly into the drive and as he climbs out of the car he sees Hyacinth climb out of the car on her side. Normally Hyacinth waits for Richard to come over and open the door for her, but something has changed and Hyacinth is certainly more independent. Richard smiles at her over the roof of the car and then goes and unlocks the front door. Hyacinth trails just behind her husband. She goes into the house and begins to pour the two of them a drink. Richard slips his arms around her waist and turns her around in his arms. He pulls her quite close to his chest and just holds her for a moment. "Richard what is it? You've been awfully emotional tonight."

Richard sighs deeply. He loves having Hyacinth in his arms again. "You've been awfully emotional tonight as well. I just never thought we'd be like this again. So many things changed when we became parents. It feels wonderful to hold you like this again. You've made me very happy tonight. Thank you for admitting the truth to yourself. You've changed our future."

"I haven't been emotionally present in this relationship for a long time and I apologize. You deserve more than I've been willing to give and you deserve better treatment from your wife. I can't believe how horrible I've been to you. I'm surprised you're still here actually. If I was you I'd have been gone a long time ago. I'm lucky you're so loyal." Hyacinth says as she begins to cry.

"It's not loyalty, Hyacinth, it's love. I stayed with you because I love you. I always have and I always will. I would have liked more attention from you and I would have liked to have more than one child, but things are the way they are. Nothing changes how much I love you, but I am very happy that you have gotten your emotions back into this relationship." Richard says as he takes his handkerchief out of his inside pocket and wipes Hyacinth's eyes and cheeks with it.

"Here's your drink, darling. I hope it's okay. It's been a while since I've mixed this drink for you." Hyacinth says as she passes him his glass with a napkin under it.

"I'm sure it's fine. Come and sit with me. I need a cuddle." Richard says as he sits on the couch.

"You haven't used the phrase I need a cuddle for a long time. It takes me back. You're too sweet." Hyacinth says sitting quite close to Richard and putting one arm over his waist.

Richard coughs a moment later and Hyacinth looks up at him slightly surprised. "Is your drink too strong?" she asks gently.

"Just slightly. It's good though. It'll put hair on my chest." Richard says smiling down at his wife.

"Like you need more hair on your chest." Hyacinth says teasing her husband.

"Oh, you're so mean! I can't help the amount of hair I have. That's all genetic." Richard says pretending to be upset.

"I'm kidding. I happen to think you're very handsome, Richard. I know I don't tell you, but I really should. I don't tell you how much I appreciate you, but I'm going to start. You deserve more praise." Hyacinth says cuddling closer to Richard and running her nails over his chest.

"God, you're beautiful. Oh, don't tease." Richard begs his wife. It's been so long since they've been intimate that he swears sometimes that he's forgotten what his wife looks like without clothes on.

"I'm not teasing. When was the last time I teased you? I'm a serious person, Richard, and I'm certainly being serious right now. I've missed you that way." Hyacinth says pressing herself into Richard's side.

"Well then why on earth are we still sitting in the living room? Let's go upstairs." Richard says as he stands up and sweeps Hyacinth up into his arms.

"Oh, Richard, you're so gallant and romantic! It's been too long since we've been this way with each other." Hyacinth says as she puts her arms around Richard's neck and he walks upstairs with her in his arms.

"You don't have to do this you know. I can wait until you're certain. I don't want to push you into anything." Richard says as he tries to open the door to the bedroom.

"I want to do this. I want to show you how much I love you. You can put me down if you need to." Hyacinth says sweetly kissing Richard's cheek.

"I'm just going to put you down for a moment." Richard carefully drops Hyacinth's feet to the floor and turns the doorknob on the bedroom door. After he opens the door he sweeps Hyacinth back up into his arms and kisses her. "I love you," he whispers in her ear.

"I love you too. I'm sorry I didn't tell you often enough." Hyacinth says as she begins to unbutton Richard's dress shirt.

"That doesn't matter now. What matters now is that we're telling each other the truth when it really counts. Something had to give and I'm just glad that this didn't end in divorce." Richard says touching Hyacinth's hair.

"Were you considering divorce?" Hyacinth asks. "I wouldn't have let you leave you know. I couldn't have let you leave; it would have broken my heart. You mean more to me than any of the things I obsess about. You are my life and I'm sorry I forgot that."

"It's easy to muddle up your priorities when your sisters and your son are as needy as they are. I should have said something a long time ago. I allowed this to happen as much as you did. I certainly haven't helped. I pulled away. I didn't fight for you the way I could have. We were close and I let you pull away. I did nothing to stop it and I just got bitter about your behaviour rather than telling you something needed to change. I bottled everything up and you assumed everything was okay. I misled you and I'm terribly sorry." Richard says as he pulls his jacket off and loosens his tie.

"The truth is I am smart enough to realize my behaviour wasn't solving anything between us and was, in fact, making everything worse. I don't want to be the reason we don't get along anymore." Hyacinth says sadly.


End file.
